Singh Karishma K, Elliot Andrew J, Handley Elizabeth D, Jamieson Jeremy P
Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 28;20(1):e0318449. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318449. eCollection 2025.
Individuals embody various social identities that can impact how they interface with the social environment. Stigma theories suggest that members of low-status or marginalized groups possess devalued social identities, and therefore, experience more stress. While social identities can lead to increased stress, individuals' appraisals of their identities are not necessarily perceived as harmful/demanding. Rather, social identities can also be appraised as resources or sources of strength bringing opportunities and facilitating goal attainment. Using the biopsychosocial (BPS) model of challenge and threat as a conceptual foundation, this research developed a novel measure to assess individuals' appraisals of their social identities. In Study 1 (N = 575), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) evaluated the theorized factor structure (i.e., resource and demand appraisals) and assessed the overall fit of the model. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested for associations between the resource and demand latent factors. Individuals appraising their ethnic-racial identity as a resource exhibited improved self and intergroup outcomes, while those perceiving it as a demand reported worse self-based and intergroup outcomes, as well as more distress. Study 2 (N = 743 Black and White Americans), which was preregistered, examined group differences in appraisals of ethnic-racial identity. SEM revealed that Black participants were more likely than White participants to appraise their ethnic-racial identity as demanding, leading to worse social and intergroup outcomes. Even when Black participants perceived their ethnic-racial identity as a resource, they still reported higher levels of discrimination, intergroup anxiety, and behavioral avoidance compared to their White counterparts. Implications for theory development and application to the stress literature are discussed.
个体体现了各种社会身份，这些身份会影响他们与社会环境的互动方式。污名理论表明，低地位或边缘化群体的成员拥有被贬低的社会身份，因此会经历更多压力。虽然社会身份会导致压力增加，但个体对自身身份的评价不一定被视为有害/苛刻。相反，社会身份也可以被评价为带来机会并促进目标实现的资源或力量来源。本研究以挑战与威胁的生物心理社会（BPS）模型为概念基础，开发了一种新颖的测量方法来评估个体对其社会身份的评价。在研究1（N = 575）中，验证性因素分析（CFA）评估了理论化的因素结构（即资源和需求评价），并评估了模型的整体拟合度。结构方程模型（SEM）测试了资源和需求潜在因素之间的关联。将其族裔-种族身份评价为一种资源的个体表现出更好的自我和群体间结果，而那些将其视为一种需求的个体报告的基于自我和群体间的结果更差，且苦恼更多。预先注册的研究2（N = 743名黑人和白人美国人）考察了族裔-种族身份评价中的群体差异。SEM显示，黑人参与者比白人参与者更有可能将其族裔-种族身份评价为苛刻，从而导致更差的社会和群体间结果。即使黑人参与者将其族裔-种族身份视为一种资源，与白人相比，他们仍报告更高水平的歧视、群体间焦虑和行为回避。讨论了对理论发展的影响以及在压力文献中的应用。
